As this chapter opens, Abraham is sitting in the doorway of his tent, which is pitched in the oak groves of Mamre. Jehovah appears to Abraham, in the guise of three men, three angels. Abraham bows in humiliation and says, “My Lord, if I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, pass not I pray from over thy servant”. He wants to mark the occasion of this visit with a feast, and goes about preparing a special meal for his Heavenly guests.

Jehovah has come to inform Abraham and Sarah that they will have a child in the coming year. Abraham and Sarah are both very old, and find it hard to believe that this could be true - the Jehovah says to them, "Shall any thing be too wonderful for Jehovah?"

Jehovah tells them that a great nation will descend from Abraham and carry his name.

After the feast, as the visitors are about to leave, they turn their faces toward Sodom and Gomorrah. Jehovah then says, “the cry has become great, and their sin has become very grievous.” Jehovah is about to tell Abraham of his plan to destroy these cities due to their sinfulness. Upon hearing this news asks, Abraham what will happen to those who have not sinned. Jehovah tells Abraham that if there are as few as five good and truthful people there, He will not destroy these cities.

Supplementary Material

Here are some additional excerpts from Swedenborg's "Arcana Coelestia" that help explain the inner meaning of this chapter:

AC 2136. In the first place, this chapter treats concerning the Lord’s state of perception in the Human and concerning the communication with the Divine at that time, before the perfect union of His Human Essence with the Divine Essence, which state is also that in regard to which the Lord says,

"No one hath seen God at any time, the Only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father" (John 1:18).

AC 2137. The Lord‘s state of perception in the Human at that time is signified by the "oak-groves of Mamre" (verse 1); and that in this state He perceived the Divine which was manifesting itself before His Human (verse 2); at which He rejoiced (verse 3); and desired that the Divine should draw nearer to His Human by putting on something natural (verse 4), and His Human nearer to the Divine by putting on the celestial (verse 5). The celestial and the derivative spiritual, which He put on, are signified by the "three measures of meal of fine flour" of which the cakes were made (verse 6); and that He also put on a conforming natural, is signified by the "son of an ox" (verse 7); the result being conformation, and a communication of the Divine with the Human, and of the Human with the Divine (verse 8).

AC 2138. In the second place, this chapter treats concerning the Lord’s perception in that state respecting the rational with Him, in that it would put off the Human, and be made Divine.

AC 2139. That the rational would be made Divine, is signified by the "son" whom Sarah was to bear (verse 10). That the human rational truth that was with the Lord did not perceive this, and thus did not believe it, is signified by Sarah‘s "laughing" at the door of the tent that was behind him (verses 10-13, 15). It is confirmed that the Lord would put off this also, and would put on in its place truth Divine (verse 14).

AC 2140. In the third place, the chapter treats concerning the Lord’s grief and anxiety over the human race, because men were so greatly imbued with the love of self, and from this with the cupidity of exercising command over others from what is evil and false, for whom in that state He interceded, and obtained that those should be saved with whom there should be goods and truths; and who these are, is recounted in order.

AC 2141. The Lord‘s perception concerning the human race, that it was in evil and falsity, "Sodom" being the love of self and the derivative cupidity of exercising command from what is evil, and "Gomorrah" being the same from what is false (verses 16, 20). That this could not be concealed from the Lord in that state, because by Him and from Him is all salvation (verses 17 to 19); that is to say, they were to be visited when their wickedness reached its height (verses 20, 21). That when He was in this perception (verse 22), He interceded for them; first for those with whom there should be truths, and these truths full of goods, who are signified by the "fifty" (verses 23 to 26); also for those with whom there should be less of good, but this good nevertheless conjoined with truths, who are signified by the "forty-five" (verses 27, 28); next for those who have been in temptations, who are signified by the "forty" (verse 29); as likewise for those who have been in some combats against evils, who are signified by the "thirty" (verse 30); afterwards for those with whom there should be states of the affection of good from any other source, who are signified by the "twenty" (verse 31); lastly for those with whom there should be states of the affection of truth, who are signified by the "ten" (verse 32); and the constant answer was that they should be saved (verses 26, 28 to 32). These things being accomplished, the Lord returned into His former state of perception (verse 33). These are the arcana contained in the internal sense of this chapter, which are not manifest from the letter.

2141. The Lord's perception was this, that the human race was immersed in evil and falsity, Sodom being self-love and the consequent desire to exercise control from evil, Gomorrah to do so from falsity, verses 16, 20. This could not be concealed from the Lord in that state because He is the means and He is the source of all salvation, verses 17-19; that is to say, they would be visited when their wickedness had reached its peak, verses 20-21. While that perception existed with Him, verse 22, He interceded on their behalf - first on behalf of those with whom truths were both present and filled with goods, who are meant by 'the fifty', verses 23-26; then on behalf of those with whom less good was present but was nevertheless joined to truths, who are meant by 'the forty-five', verses 27-28; after that on behalf of those who were undergoing temptations, who are meant by 'the forty', verse 29; and also on behalf of those who have been involved in some conflicts with evils, who are meant by 'the thirty', verse 30; following these on behalf of those with whom states existed of affection for good, which were from some other source, who are meant by 'the twenty', verse 31; and finally on behalf of those with whom states of affection for truth existed, who are meant by 'the ten', verse 32. And each time the reply came back that they were to be saved, verses 26, 28-32. When all this was completed the Lord returned to His previous state of perception, verse 33. These are the arcana in this chapter in the internal sense, which are not evident from the letter.